Drain for refrigerators



ew M i? W @gb Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,809

l W. L. HUMMEL.v

DRAIN FOR REFRIGER'TORS Filed Jan, l?. 1924 ATTORNEYS zBY iateiifted Aug. 25, 1925.

TENT OFFICE.

DRAIN FOR REFRIGERATORS.

Application led January 17, 1924. Serial No. 686,912.

To all 'whom t may camera:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. HUMMEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Drains for Refrigerators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in drain for refrigerator, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the drain pan, drain trough, and drain pipe are constructed so that they may be readily cleaned without the necessity of removing` any of the contents of the ice box.

A further object of my invention is to provide a drain for refrigerator in which the ice supporting pan provides a horizontal surface for supporting the ice and is also provided with inclined troughs that are adapted to convey the waterv from the melting ice, away.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which has a drain trough communicating with the drain pan, this trough being disposed adj acent to the front door of the ice box, whereby it may be readily cleaned when desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which has a novel drain pipe that communicates with the drain trough and with the outlet ipe of the ice boX, this drain pipe comprislng two U-shaped pieces that are adapted to provide a solid pipe when secured to each other, these pieces when removed being readily cleaned.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the U-shaped pieces provide a novel water trap for the ice box when they are assembled.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, in which- Figure 1 is a section along the line 1-1 of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section along the-'line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional View of the water trap, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In carrying out my invention I provide an ice box 1 that has an ice chamber 2 and food chambers 3 therein. A door 4 communicates with the ice chamber 2 and doors 5 communicate with the food chambers 3. It will be noted from Figures 1 and 2 that a drain pan 6 is disposed in the bottom of the chamber 2 and is carried by angle irons 7 The pan 6 is adapted to carry a cake of ice 8. It will also be noted from Figures 1 and 3 that the pan 6 is provided with iutes 9, the upper surfaces of these flutes providing a horizontal surface for the ice 8, while the channels 10 between the flutes taper from the rear of the ice boX to the front of the boX. In this way the pan provides a water drain for the melting ice, and conveys the water from the ice to the front of the boX.

A trough 11 is disposed at the front of the pan 6 and receives the water from the channels 10. The trough 11 in turn conveys the water to a small trough 12. The trough 12 communicates with a drain pipe 13. The drain pipe 13, of novel construction, is clearly shown in Figures 3 and 5. It will be noted from Figure 5 that the pipe 13 is composed of two U-shaped parts 14 and 15. The part 14 is secured to the wall of the ice box 1 by means of screws 16, while the part 15 is removably carried by the part 14. It is necessary to make the pipe 13 water-tight when the parts 14 and 15 are assembled. To this end I curve the walls at 14 as at 17. In like manner, the walls of the part 15 are curved at 18. The walls 18 are flexible and are therefore adapted to be moved into the position shown in Figure 5.

As a further precaution against leakage of the pipe 13, I taper the walls 17 and 18. ln disposing the U-shaped part 15 in place, I insert the lower end of the part in the upper end of the part 14 and then slide the part 15 downwardly with respect to the part 14, whereby the curved and tapered sides 17 and 18 cause the sides to closely engage with eachother to prevent any water from leaking between the sides. The U- shaped part 15 is secured to a plate 19 t-hat has curved edges 2O on all four of its sides. The plate 19 not only makes a neat covering for the U-shaped part 15 but aids in preventing the cold from passing out through the groove 21 that houses the part 14. The edges 2() bite into the wall 1 and are held in place by means of the spring walls 18. A knob 22 is disposed at the upper end of the plate 19 and provides a means by which the part 15 may be removed from the part 14.

The parts 14 and 15 provide a drain pipe 13 when assembled, and also provide a water trap indicated generally at 23. The inner wall of the part 14 is fashioned into a cup 24, this cup receiving the reduced end 25 of the part 15 when the latter is secured to the part 14. The front wall 2G of the part 15 is bent at 27 and again at 28 and prevents the cold air from passing into the outlet drain 29. rlhe water from the device fills the cup 24 and seals the lower end of the pipe 13. The water overflows from the cup 24 and passes from the outlet drain 29 to a receptacle or any other device for receiving the waste water.

From the foregoing description of the varions parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. It will be noted that the drain pan 6, the trough 11 and the drain pipe 13 are constructed so as to be readily cleaned. One of the principal disadvantages of the standard ice box is that the contents of the box have to be removed before the water conveying parts can be cleaned. In many cases, the drain pipe is a solid pipe and is disposed in thel rear of the box, where it is practically inaccessible. The present device, however, disposes the drain pipe 13 at the front of the box and constructs the pipe so that the pipe may be disassembled and readily cleaned. The pipe in reality consists of two U-shaped members or troughs that when assembled provide a solid pipe. The pipe 13 and the trough 1l may be cleaned even though there is ice in the box. Moreover, the pipe 13 may be cleaned without the necessity of opening the ice box. In this case, the platel 19 is removed, whereby the U-shaped troughs or parts 14 and l5 may be cleaned.

The construction of the drain pan G is such as to quickly convey the water from the melting ice away from the ice and into the trough 11. This water is conveyed away while still cold. In this way, the temperat-ure of the box is kept at a much cooler temperature than is the case when the waste water remains in the box a considerable length of time before being drained olf. The device is extremely simple in construction and provides a novel means for permitting all of the parts that convey the waste water from the box to be readily cleaned when desired.

l claim:

1. The combination with an ice box having an ice compatpmiepntmaidwa door communicating ierewith, o drain pan disposed in said compartment, Tdrain trough for receiving the water from said pan, said trough being disposed adjacent to said door, whereby it may be cleaned without the necessity of removing the ice, and a drain pipe communicating with said trough, said pipe comprising two separable parts, one of i said parts being removable from the out-i side of said box, whereby the pipe may be readily cleaned when disassembled.

2. ln a device of the type described, a U- shaped member having its lower end fashioned into a cup, a second U-shaped member adapted to frictionally engage with said first named member, said members when assembled providing a water tight drain pipe, the lower end of said second named member adapted to enter said cup, whereby a water trajp7 is provided for the drain pipe. f o. A drain pan for an ice box comprising a plate provided with a plurality of flutes, the upper faces of which provide a horizontal supporting surface for ice, said flutes being spaced from each other so as to provide channels, the lower portions of said channels sloping from the upper surface of the flutes at one side of said pan to a distance below the upper surface of the flutes at the opposite side of said pan, whereby said channels are adapted to carry away all of the waste water from the ice.

4. The combination with an ice box having a groove vertically disposed in one of its sides, a U-shaped member adapted to be placed in said groove, means for rigidly holding said member in place, a second U-shaped member, said second named member being adapted to enter said first named member, the abutting walls of said members being curved, whereby said members are yieldingly held together thus forming a drain pipe.

rlhe combination with an ice box having a groove disposed vertically in one of its side walls, a drain pipe disposed in said groove, said drain pipe comprising two U- shaped members, one of said members being rigidly secured to the wall of said groove and adapted to receive and frictionally hold said second named member, a plate carried by said second named member, said plate being adapted to cover said groove, and

6. The combination with an ice box having a drain pan, an outlet for said drain pan, an outlet in the bottom of the icel boX, a drain pipe connecting said outlets, said drain pipe comprising two Ushaped menibers adapted to frictionally engage With a handle secured to said late forwremovingi.

each other, the abutting Walls being curved, 10

said outlets and said drain pipe To asmtgg 15 prevent any cold ai WILLIAM L. HUMMEL. 

